THE WAR ON DRUGS, NOW IN SCHOOLS

To the Editor:

Re "Is This the Answer to Drug Use?" (March 25):

Students are now on the front lines of the war on drugs. Whether it
be random, suspicionless student drug testing, or having police dogs
sniffing around school lockers for drugs, students are now feeling
the heavy-handedness of the government's efforts to keep them "drug-free."

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is trying to
persuade local educators across the country to apply random,
suspicionless drug tests by conducting regional summits. This policy
is unsupported by available science and opposed by leading experts in
adolescent health.

Instead, educators should implement alternatives to drug testing that
emphasize education and discussion that will build trust between
students and adults. Forcing students to urinate in a cup is not the
way to keep them drug-free.

Anthony Papa

New York

The writer is communications specialist, Drug Policy Alliance.